POLL: How interested are you in real-world politics?

[Nakena]

Fair amount but not a lot.

I also have some experience in RL politics as well.

[Sundiata]

I'm more interested in my actual life: dating, working, spending time with my friends and family. Politics doesn't put food on the table or get you ahead unless you're an active player in the game so for now I kind of just check out. It'd be nice to have SUPERPAC funding but that takes awhile to guarantee.

Politicians and senators when they hear this: lol but I see what your saying unless you top tier it does not make much money I get it

Yeah. That's the name of the game in American politics, corporate cash.

[UniversalCommons]

I have no choice but to get involved in real world politics to keep my job. My agency has elected trustees. What does this mean, most have direct connections with city hall. You get the wrong people in and they try and bust your union or lower your salary because of who elected them. This is increasingly true everywhere you go. Small town government agencies are becoming politicized. You can't just be a fireman, a policeman, a librarian, a hospital worker, etc. without being involved in politics. The local hospital near my job was shut down and the citizens led major protests to get it back open. These things are very real. This is true in many places in the United States. With limited budgets, the people who don't speak up end with a police station shut down by leftists, a hospital shut down by corporations who want to make more money, or a library shut down by right wingers who won't see the value in museums or libraries. Everything is on the table if you are a public worker. Every agency is under some form of attack by one group or another. For the last four years, there was a threat to shut down the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Wipe the agency out. There are a lot of jobs on the line. Someone somewhere wants a different government. There are those who just don't want to pay any taxes. Then there are those who want to eliminate different agencies of their choosing. Ten years ago this was not happening. You could live your life and do your job and not be bothered. This is not the case anymore.

[Cisairse]

I'm so much of a politics simp that I'm actually starting to turn my SO into a politics simp too

I'm contagious

[Saiwania]

Usually there isn't a lot to pay attention to. I'd be far more interested if a neo-Nazi government actually took power somewhere in the world (doesn't have to be an NSDAP clone though, I could work within something like National Bolshevism (NazBol) or Francoist Spain- would probably need to be a totalitarian order though.) If the language/cultural barrier isn't too much, I might jump up and use the $2,500 in life savings I have to get a plane ticket to travel there and offer my services to work for such a government. I will feel that I've really made it, if I'm put in uniform and secured a prestigious post or role of some sort.

[Nakena]

Usually there isn't a lot to pay attention to. I'd be far more interested if a neo-Nazi government actually took power somewhere in the world (doesn't have to be an NSDAP clone though, I could work within something like National Bolshevism (NazBol) or Francoist Spain- would probably need to be a totalitarian order though.) If the language/cultural barrier isn't too much, I might jump up and use the $2,500 in life savings I have to get a plane ticket to travel there and offer my services to work for such a government. I will feel that I've really made it, if I'm put in uniform and secured a prestigious post or role of some sort.

You realize that Nazbol is probably not fitting to your ideology?

And besides why you try to be a nazi?

[Saiwania]

You realize that Nazbol is probably not fitting to your ideology? And besides why you try to be a nazi?

Ideology is malleable to some extent. The policies just have to not be too disasterous in outcome. As for why, for me it is for the cool uniforms/prestige and the easier career progression and clearer sense of hierarchy to be had.

[UniversalCommons]

You realize that Nazbol is probably not fitting to your ideology? And besides why you try to be a nazi?

Ideology is malleable to some extent. The policies just have to not be too disasterous in outcome. As for why, for me it is for the cool uniforms/prestige and the easier career progression and clearer sense of hierarchy to be had.

That can be had in almost any decently put together army.

[Stellar Colonies]

I never paid attention to politics until the widespread vitriol in 2016 drew my focus, and it led to a lot of changes in how I viewed the world (learned that non-straight people existed, became more cynical about the United States, improved my knowledge of history and geography, etc.). Since then, it's gradually become a background focus for me, especially when focusing on things closer to me within my own life, but I still keep tabs on it to a degree far greater than before 2016.

[Torisakia]

I would say "Not at all" but then that would bring the "you're ignoring reality" crowd out of the woodworks so I'll just say that I live and breathe politics 24/7/365. I love nothing more than the smell of politics all day, every day. I would marry politics if I could.

[Postauthoritarian America]

More than is probably good for my mental health. I post on NSG, right?

[Eranaia]

I'm strongly interested in politics most of the time, although it's frustrating that most of my opinions are too fringe for me to be able to feel many mainstream politicians are on my side. Every so often I get depressed and feel like abandoning the whole thing because we're all so fucked. At these times I remind myself that politics isn't just the soap opera of who said what about who and who's in line for the top jobs or out of favour, it's about activism and actually trying to make a difference in the real world.

[Shrillland]

Quite interested, and not just in my own country. I'm interested anywhere the democratic process is robust and many places where it isn't.

[Czechostan]

I'm much more interested in political theory than current affairs. I would like to get involved in electoral politics, but there's no party or political faction I support enough.

[The Yeetusa]

Is there an option for "you try to ignore it somewhat but your friends always drag you into it, and you can't back out of a debate because of your giant ego". If not, that is me

[Saiwania]

That can be had in almost any decently put together army.

It really can't be had if you'd normally not be eligible for military service, such as having eyesight which is disqualifying. Even more so if the military in question doesn't have conscription. At least with Nazi Germany, there was a plethora of paramilitaries you could try for. If I'm not a good fit for the SS, maybe the SA would've been my calling in that different life.

The prospects are better overall, under undemocratic systems if you can benefit from nepotism or having membership in the ruling political party early on.

[Geneviev]

I'm interested, in the same way that people always feel tempted to look at a car crash. But, actually, I do think it's very important to do something. That was a lesson I had to learn under Trump. If Clinton had won the election, I would probably not care as much.

[UniversalCommons]

That can be had in almost any decently put together army.

It really can't be had if you'd normally not be eligible for military service, such as having eyesight which is disqualifying. Even more so if the military in question doesn't have conscription. At least with Nazi Germany, there was a plethora of paramilitaries you could try for. If I'm not a good fit for the SS, maybe the SA would've been my calling in that different life.

The prospects are better overall, under undemocratic systems if you can benefit from nepotism or having membership in the ruling political party early on.

Why not just join Wackenhut (armed security for nuclear power plants), Colorado Security Agency, or Blackwater as a security guard, or become an airport security inspector, or be a port security inspector for shipping. The port security people are pretty uptight sometimes and you might fit in. Trump was hiring a lot of Colorado Security Agency guards to help with his rallies. It is pretty regimented.

Or if you are not into violence and actually want to do something regimented, smoke jumping is a good job. You have to jump out of airplanes and fight fires though. Join the fire brigades in the national forests. There are going to be a lot more fires. Park service workers also get to wear a nice uniform. You might even get to catch some miscreants. I thought about it when I was younger, but I am too intellectual for it.

Any system of government has its enforcers whether it is democratic or authoritarian.

[Rosmana]

My views have changed recently, but yes, I am very interested are you in real-world politics.

[Nakena]

I think theres a big difference between real world politics and one's world view and ideology. Since most issues in real world politics revolve around practical matters rather than ones of ideology.